Stay
by ArtemisFowlTheThird
Summary: ONESHOT. WARNING: IMPLIED ZADR.The alien Dib had fought so hard for a long time... is giving up and leaving. What could Dib do?


I'm back! This is another Invader Zim fanfic… dedicated to mah sis, Of Words and Thoughts! She gave me the idea for the fic…well, kinda…

It implies ZADR… sort of…

Anyway, enjoy. Characters may be OOC or not… it's your opinion.

Disclaimer: I own Invader Zim and its characters… not. If I did, ZADR would exist not only in the imagination of crazed fangirls…

--

"I'm leaving."

The simple sentence affected Dib as much as if he was knocked over on the head by a hammer-wielding fairy. He stared at the green alien, eyes unseeing, only hearing the sentence repeat over and over in his head. _"I'm leaving…"_

It was sheer absurdity; no, Zim could not leave, he cannot! It must be a trap, oh, yes, Dib thought frantically, desperately clinging on to his last hope. Taking a deep breath, he managed a laugh, trying hard to sound as if what Zim said was ridiculously amusing, and not gut-wrenching as Dib had received them.

"Zim, you're leaving? Ha, nice try, but I'm not falling for that. This is probably just a trick to bring my guard down, isn't it? Isn't it?!" The words slipped out from Dib as sounding rather crazed and not cool and collected as Dib had intended them to be.

The Irken, not noticing the tone, snapped, "Do you think, Dib-_worm_, that I, Zim, would invite you over to _my_ lab at the risk of you bringing filthy cameras and such just to trick you?! Take all the pictures you want," here the alien waved an elegant hand, "when the stupid Earth police come to investigate, all they would find is a hole where my base is right now."

Dib glared at the alien, finding no hole in his argument. He was angry, but it was not quite for the reason he or the alien was expecting. He spat out bitterly, "And _why _are you leaving?"

"Mm… for reasons your puny human brain won't understand," Zim replied vaguely, averting his eyes. "My Tallest... well... they have..." The rest was spoken in incoherent mutters.

Dib stared at him. Was Zim… ashamed? Upset? Something…?

"But still," Zim resumed in his normal voice, "I am leaving… to the stars, straight into space. I am taking everything with me, and now…" he looked down, "there would be no threat to this dull piece of rock that you insist on protecting!"

The trench coat-clad boy clenched his fists. "You don't understand! You _can't _leave!"

"And why not…?" Zim asked softly, looking up and staring coldly straight into Dib's amber eyes, "I thought that _you, _of all humans, would have been the happiest on hearing that I am leaving." As Dib was about to reply, Zim held up a hand. "Oh, wait! No, you _need _Zim to make your life _interesting, _no? You need his amazingness to spice up your dull Earth life, yes?" Here Zim crossed his arms. "Is that all I am to you, Dib? Entertainment?"

The lack of an insult at the end of his name did not escape Dib. His mouth tightening, he burst out, "No! You're my enemy! I'm _supposed _to stop you! And how could I stop you if you just _leave?"_

"But I _am _leaving," the alien responded smoothly. "This makes things easier, does it not?"

"I—" The young paranormal investigator gripped the insides of his coat tightly, begging, _needing_ Zim to understand why he must not leave. "You—you don't understand!! I need you! You can't leave!"

"Has Dib-stink developed a fondness for Zim…?" Zim smirked, amused at the obviously flustered boy.

"Ugh!" _Zim, you don't understand, you don't… I need you in my life! You can't just walk away! You don't understand!_ His thoughts were swirling around in a mad frenzy, confused yet…

"I…" Don't leave, don't leave, don't leave…

Zim looked idly at the floor. "You may want to go now. I have to start the preparations for leaving… no doubt Gir would probably mess the delivery…," he muttered in a low voice that Dib didn't hear.

"But…"

"Go!" The harsh command suddenly burst out from Zim, who turned away as Dib slowly made his way to the exit elevator.

Every step Dib took pained him; he knew that with every single step he was walking farther and farther away from the very person who he needed the most in his life… the only person who actually interacted with him… the only person who was most like him and yet… was unique.

He was the only person who could be his friend… or maybe even more, who knows?

Dib lowered his eyes, tears suddenly blinding his vision. That was what he needed Zim to understand, but he knew that the alien could _never_ understand… could never understand the complexity of Dib's human feelings, Dib's human thoughts…

A tear dropped on the cold floor and the boy bit his lip, trying to stop the tears. _He needed to walk out with some dignity, for Pete's sake!_

As his hand touched the handle of the elevator-door, he turned and looked back at Zim, whose back was turned on him, his black-gloved hands fiddling with the buttons and knobs of a nearby machine.

No, he can't do this.

Dib knew he had to make Zim understand, even for the last time… just a feeble attempt. He called out, "Zim!"

The alien turned around, beautiful crimson eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Please…" He needed Zim to understand, to know, everything.

Zim smiled, not his usual smug smile that made Dib want to punch him, but a plain smile, sad yet understanding. He mouthed two simple words that left Dib, if not happy, contented.

"I know."

--

Dib slowly walked back to his house. Shuffling his feet, he entered his home and sighed. Nothing had changed; Gaz was on the couch, playing, not caring that he had just had a life-changing experience.

He ran lightly up to his room, opened the door, and…stopped in surprise. Glass shards were scattered all over the floor. There was a hole in the window by his bed.

_What the…?_

A white piece of paper fluttered at his feet. Forehead furrowed, he picked it up.

_Dib,_

_By the time you read this, I will most likely be gone. Well… there may be a few more preparations to perform… but still…_

_I just want to say good-bye. After your visit to the lab, I may not have said good-bye to you properly. Well, good-bye…_

_Watch for me in the stars…_

_Zim_

Dib's hands slipped a little on the paper, and he remembered Zim's words: _"…no doubt Gir would probably mess the delivery…" _He smiled softly. Gir had delivered this letter to his house… which would explain the battered window.

The little humor he found in the situation nevertheless cheered him up a bit. Solemnly, he turned and regarded the darkening afternoon sky.

_Watch for me in the stars…_

Did he imagine it, or was there a slight twinkle up there in the sky?

--

Huh. That didn't make sense, even to me. Well, I apologize for my insane ramble. (bows) Anyway, this really didn't turn out to be ZADR… well, no, it _implies _ZADR… ugh… I dunno. I don't like the ending… huh, it seems I usually don't like the ending of my fics. Ah, well…

Bear in mind that this is a oneshot!!! I _may_ turn this into a full-fledged fanfic... but it's most likely I won't. I still have to work on the next chapter of 'A Tiny Little Box.' And that story...


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